guidance and career education, the ontario curriculum...

Ministry of Education

The Ontario CurriculumGrades 11 and 12

Guidance andCareer Education

2 0 0 6

R E V I S E D

Printed on recycled paper

ISBN 1-4249-0908-2 (Print)ISBN 1-4249-0909-0 (TXT)ISBN 1-4249-0910-4 (PDF)

05-008

Queens Printer for Ontario, 2006

Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Secondary Schools for the Twenty-First Century . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

The Place of Guidance and Career Education in the Curriculum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Roles and Responsibilities in Guidance and Career Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

The Program in Guidance and Career Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Overview of the Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Curriculum Expectations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Strands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Assessment and Evaluation of Student Achievement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Basic Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Achievement Chart for Guidance and Career Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Evaluation and Reporting of Student Achievement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Reporting on Demonstrated Learning Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Some Considerations for Program Planning in Guidance and Career Education . . . . 19

Teaching Approaches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Planning for Experiential Learning and Cooperative Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Planning Program Pathways and Programs Leading to a Specialist High-Skills Major . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Planning Guidance and Career Education Programs for Students With Special Education Needs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

English as a Second Language and English Literacy Development (ESL/ELD) . . . . . . . . 22

Antidiscrimination Education in Guidance and Career Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Literacy, Numeracy, and Inquiry/Research Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

The Ontario Skills Passport and Essential Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

The Role of Technology in Guidance and Career Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Health and Safety in Guidance and Career Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Une publication quivalente est disponible en franais sous letitre suivant : Le curriculum de lOntario, 11e et 12e anne Orientation et formation au cheminement de carrire, 2006.

This publication is available on the Ministry of Education website at www.edu.gov.on.ca.

2 T H E O N T A R I O C U R R I C U L U M , G R A D E S 1 1 A N D 1 2 : G U I D A N C E A N D C A R E E R E D U C A T I O N

Courses

Designing Your Future, Grade 11, Open (GWL3O) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Leadership and Peer Support, Grade 11, Open (GPP3O) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Advanced Learning Strategies: Skills for Success After Secondary School,Grade 12, Open (GLS4O/GLE4O/GLE3O) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Navigating the Workplace, Grade 12, Open (GLN4O) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

3

Introduction

This document replaces The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: Guidance and CareerEducation, 2000 and the sections of The Ontario Curriculum: Guidance and Career Education,Open Courses (Draft), Grades 10 and 12, 2004 that pertain to Grade 12. Beginning inSeptember 2006, all Grade 11 and 12 guidance and career education courses will be based on expectations outlined in the present document.

Secondary Schools for the Twenty-First Century

The goal of Ontario secondary schools is to support high-quality learning while giving indi-vidual students the opportunity to choose programs that suit their skills and interests.Theupdated Ontario curriculum, in combination with a broader range of learning options outsidetraditional classroom instruction, will enable students to better customize their high school education and improve their prospects for success in school and in life.

The Place of Guidance and Career Education in the Curriculum

The guidance and career education program plays a central role in secondary school by provid-ing students with the tools they need for success in school, in the workplace, and in their dailylives. In particular, the curriculum focuses on skill development that will help students bettermanage their time, resources, and dealings with other people to improve their opportunitiesfor success both in school and in their future lives. Courses in guidance and career educationactively involve students in research, inquiry, problem-solving, and decision-making processesrelated to planning for postsecondary education, training, or work.The guidance and careereducation program is designed to recognize the diverse abilities, strengths, and aspirations of all students, providing them with knowledge and skills that will be benefit them throughouttheir lives.

The goals of the guidance and career education curriculum are to enable students to:

understand concepts related to lifelong learning, interpersonal relationships, and career planning;

develop learning skills, social skills, a sense of social responsibility, and the ability to formulateand pursue educational and career goals;

apply this learning to their lives and work in the school and the community.

These goals are organized into three areas of knowledge and skills: student development, interper-sonal development, and career development, as outlined in Choices Into Action: Guidance and CareerEducation Program Policy for Ontario Elementary and Secondary Schools, 1999.

The guidance and career education program aims to help students become more confident,more motivated, and more effective learners. Students learn how to identify and assess theirown competencies, characteristics, and aspirations.They explore a broad range of optionsrelated to learning, work, and community involvement through a variety of school and experi-ential learning opportunities. Students develop learning and employability skills and strategies


that they can apply in their secondary and postsecondary studies and in the workplace.Theyidentify and develop essential skills and work habits that are required for success in the work-place, as well as skills needed for effective communication, teamwork, and leadership. In theirguidance and career education courses, students learn about the changing nature of work andtrends affecting the workplace, and gain insights into the challenges and opportunities theywill encounter in the modern economy.The curriculum allows for opportunities for studentsto practise the skills they are developing in both school and community contexts and tobecome aware of the importance of contributing to their communities.

As they learn about the career-planning process, students set goals for postsecondary educationand work and develop the knowledge and skills they need to achieve those goals.The programhelps prepare students for a changing world by demonstrating that a career is not just an occu-pational destination but also a journey that involves lifelong learning. It also teaches them torecognize and create opportunities, make informed choices, and pursue their personal andcareer goals more effectively.

Through the guidance and career education program, students learn to manage the varioustransitions they will be making in the course of their lives, starting with their next major transition, from secondary school to postsecondary education or training, and work. Studentsprepare for a world that will demand adaptability and resourcefulness by developing the per-sonal knowledge and skills they will need to navigate the future confidently and effectively.

Teachers in all disciplines of the secondary school curriculum share some responsibility fordeveloping students learning skills, interpersonal skills, and knowledge and skills related tocareer planning. In guidance and career education, however, these three areas of developmentare at the centre of the curriculum and are taught explicitly. Students relate what they arelearning in various subjects in their secondary school program to their personal aspirations and interests and to possible work and life roles.Awareness of these connections increases thepersonal relevance of the curriculum for students and, hence, their motivation to learn and toset and pursue educational and career goals.

Subject matter from any course in guidance and career education can be combined with materialfrom courses in other disciplines to make a single-credit interdisciplinary course.As well, afull-credit or half-credit guidance and career education course can be used as part of an inter-disciplinary package of courses. Policies and procedures pertaining to the development ofinterdisciplinary courses are outlined in The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: InterdisciplinaryStudies, 2002.

The secondary school guidance and career education curriculum builds on the work begun in the elementary program in the three interconnected areas of development learning, inter-personal skills, and career planning.As Choices Into Action, 1999 makes clear, growth in theseareas is an ongoing process that continues from Kindergarten to Grade 12 and throughout life.In both the elementary and secondary school programs, students acquire knowledge and skillsthat help them to become responsible and contributing members of communities, workplaces,families, and peer groups; to turn learning into a lifelong enterprise; and to create and preparefor futures that include meaningful, productive roles in work, personal life, and the community.

From Grade 7 to Grade 12, all students develop and complete an annual education plan.Thesecondary school guidance and career education curriculum supports this process by teachingstudents the knowledge and skills they need to complete their annual education plans success-fully. (Further information about the annual education plan can be found in Choices IntoAction, 1999.)

5I N T R O D U C T I O N

Roles and Responsibilities in Guidance and Career Education

Students. Students have many responsibilities with regard to their learning in school. Studentswho make the effort required to succeed in school and who apply themselves will soon discoverthat there is a direct relationship between this effort and their achievement, and will thereforebe more motivated to work.There will be some students, however, who will find it more diffi-cult to take responsibility for their learning because of special challenges they face. For thesestudents, the attention, patience, and encouragement of teachers can be extremely importantfactors for success. However, taking responsibility for ones progress and learning is an impor-tant part of education for all students, regardless of their circumstances.

Mastery of concepts and skills in guidance and career education requires a sincere commitmentto work, study, and the development of appropriate skills. Students should also be encouragedto actively pursue opportunities outside the classroom, through extracurricular activities andcommunity service, to extend and enrich their knowledge and skills. Many guidance and careereducation courses provide students with the opportunity to develop a portfolio documentingtheir skills, experiences, and skills credentials (e.g., CPR,WHMIS, equipment training) as partof their ongoing learning and career development.

Parents. Parents have an important role to play in supporting student learning. Studies showthat students perform better in school if their parents or guardians are involved in their educa-tion. By becoming familiar with the curriculum, parents can find out what is being taught inthe courses their children are taking and what their children are expected to learn.This aware-ness will enhance parents ability to discuss their childrens work with them, to communicatewith teachers, and to ask relevant questions about their childrens progress. Knowledge of theexpectations in the various courses also helps parents to interpret teachers comments on studentprogress and to work with them to improve their childrens learning.

The guidance and career education curriculum promotes lifelong learning. In addition to supporting regular school activities, parents may want to encourage their sons and daughters toexplore opportunities available to students through greater school and community involve-ment and participation in leadership-development activities.Attending parentteacher inter-views, participating in parent workshops, becoming involved in school council activities(including becoming a school council member), and encouraging students to complete theirassignments at home are just a few examples of effective ways to support learning.

Teachers. Teachers and students have complementary responsibilities.Teachers are responsiblefor developing appropriate instructional strategies to help students achieve the curriculumexpectations, as well as appropriate methods for assessing and evaluating student learning.Teachers also support students in developing the reading, writing, oral communication, andnumeracy skills needed for success in their courses.Teachers bring enthusiasm and variedteaching and assessment approaches to the classroom, addressing different student needs andensuring sound learning opportunities for every student.

Using a variety of instructional, assessment, and evaluation strategies, teachers provide numerousopportunities for students to develop research and inquiry skills; interpersonal skills, includingboth oral and written communication skills; and the personal-management, learning, andemployability skills needed for success in school and in future work. Opportunities to connectthese skills and concepts to real-life situations will help make learning more meaningful forstudents and will motivate them to become lifelong learners.


Principals. The principal works in partnership with teachers and parents to ensure that eachstudent has access to the best possible educational experience. In addition, principals work tosupport and encourage partnerships between the school and the broader community in orderto facilitate the experiential learning opportunities that benefit students in the guidance andcareer education program.

To support student learning, principals ensure that the Ontario curriculum is being properlyimplemented in all classrooms using a variety of instructional approaches.They also ensure thatappropriate resources are made available for teachers and students.To enhance teaching andlearning in all subjects, including guidance and career education, principals promote learning teams and work with teachers to facilitate teacher participation in professional development.

Principals are also responsible for ensuring that every student who has an Individual EducationPlan (IEP) is receiving the modifications and/or accommodations described in his or her plan in other words, for ensuring that the IEP is properly developed, implemented, and monitored.

7

Overview of the Program

The guidance and career education program offers courses that are designed to help studentsdevelop learning and interpersonal skills, identify their educational and career interests, andexplore postsecondary educational and work-related opportunities.

The Grade 11 course Designing Your Future (GWL3O) is a career-planning course that devel-ops students abilities to identify and pursue appropriate postsecondary educational andemployment opportunities.The Grade 11 course Leadership and Peer Support (GPP3O)focuses on the development of critical interpersonal skills and promotes student participationin both school and community life.The Grade 12 course Navigating the Workplace (GLN4O)helps students develop the workplace skills and work habits needed for success in all types ofoccupations.The Grade 12 course Advanced Learning Strategies (GLS4O) is designed to pre-pare students for success in their postsecondary destinations.This course can be modified tosuit the needs of students who have an Individual Education Plan (IEP).The modified courseis identified by the code GLE4O.The course may also be adapted for Grade 11 students whohave an IEP; in this case, the course is identified by the code GLE3O.

The guidance and career education courses offered in Grades 11 and 12 address some of thefundamental issues and topics introduced in Grades 9 and 10 but explore those issues in greaterdepth and complexity.All guidance and career education courses encourage both community-based learning and career exploration through a variety of community involvement activities,job shadowing, work experience, and internships or mentorships. In addition, guidance andcareer education courses are particularly well suited for inclusion in programs designed to provide pathways to apprenticeship or workplace destinations, including the Ontario YouthApprenticeship Program (OYAP), and in programs leading to a diploma with a SpecialistHigh-Skills Major.

Guidance and career education courses may be taken before or concurrent with cooperativeeducation courses, to provide an extended experiential learning opportunity in the workplace.1

Students are prepared for these workplace experiences through the development of job-readinessskills and instruction regarding workplace health and safety issues and procedures.

The courses offered in guidance and career education are open courses, which comprise oneset of expectations for all students.The course type is defined as follows:

Open courses are designed to prepare students for further study in the subject and to enrich their education generally.These courses comprise a set of expectations that are appropriate for all students.

Any of the Grade 11 and 12 guidance and career education courses may be used to fulfil the Group 1 additional compulsory credit requirement for the Ontario Secondary SchoolGraduation diploma, as outlined in Policy/Program Memorandum No. 139,Revisions to Ontario Secondary Schools (OSS) to Support Student Success and Learning to 18,February 1, 2006. (The PPM also states that these courses may now be used as substitutions to meet compulsory credit requirements.)

The Program in Guidance and Career Education

1. See Policy/Program Memorandum No. 139 for information about the use of cooperative education courses to fulfiladditional compulsory credit requirements for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma.


Courses in Guidance and Career Education, Grades 11 and 12*

Course Course CreditGrade Course Name Type Code Value Prerequisites

11 Designing Your Future Open GWL3O 1.0 None

11 Leadership and Peer Support Open GPP3O 1.0 None

12 Navigating the Workplace Open GLN4O 1.0 None

12 Advanced Learning Strategies: Open GLS4O 1.0 NoneSkills for Success After

GLE4O 1.0 Recommendation (modified for of principalGrade 12 students who have an IEP)

GLE3O 1.0 Recommendation (modified for of principalGrade 11 students who have an IEP)

* Although these courses are optional, any Grade 11 or 12 guidance and career education course may be used to fulfilthe Group 1 additional compulsory credit requirement or may serve as a substitution for another course fulfilling a com-pulsory credit requirement (see PPM No. 139).

** Students may receive only one credit for Grade 12 Advanced Learning Strategies, either for GLS4O or for GLE4O.Students who have an IEP may also receive one credit for GLE3O. (In summary, a student with an IEP can earn a totalof four credits for the GLE courses [GLE1O/2O/3O/4O].)

Secondary School**

Course Chart for Guidance and Career Education, Grades 912

Learning Strategies 1:

Skills for Success

in Secondary School

Grade 9, Open(GLS1O or GLE1O)

Career Studies

(compulsory) (half-credit)Grade 10, Open

(GLC2O)

Designing Your Future

Grade 11, Open(GWL3O)

Leadership and Peer Support

Grade 11, Open(GPP3O)

Advanced Learning Strategies:

Skills for Success

After Secondary School

Grade 12, Open(GLS4O or GLE4O)

Discovering the Workplace

Grade 10, Open(GLD2O)

Learning Strategies 1:

Skills for Success

in Secondary School

Grade 10, Open(GLE2O)

Advanced Learning Strategies:

Skills for Success

After Secondary School

Grade 11, Open(GLE3O)

Navigating the Workplace

Grade 12, Open(GLN4O)

9T H E P R O G R A M I N G U I D A N C E A N D C A R E E R E D U C A T I O N

Half-Credit Courses. The courses outlined in this document are designed as full-creditcourses, but they may also be delivered as half-credit courses. Half-credit courses developedfrom full courses require a minimum of fifty-five hours of scheduled instructional time andmust adhere to the following conditions:

Two half-credit courses created from a full course must together contain all of the expecta-tions of the full course.The expectations for the two half-credit courses must be divided in a manner that best enables students to achieve the required knowledge and skills in theallotted time.

A course that is a prerequisite for another course in the secondary curriculum may be offeredas two half-credit courses, but students must successfully complete both parts of the course tofulfil the prerequisite. (Students are not required to complete both parts unless the course is aprerequisite for another course they wish to take.)

The title of the half-credit course must include the designation Part 1 or Part 2.When a student successfully completes a half-credit course, a half-credit (0.5) will be recorded in thecredit-value column of both the report card and the Ontario Student Transcript.

Boards will ensure that all half-credit courses comply with the conditions described above, andwill report all half-credit courses to the ministry annually in the School October Report.

Curriculum Expectations

The expectations identified for each course describe the knowledge and skills that students areexpected to acquire, demonstrate, and apply in their class work, on tests, and in various otheractivities on which their achievement is assessed and evaluated.

Two sets of expectations are listed for each strand, or broad curriculum area, of each course.

The overall expectations describe in general terms the knowledge and skills that students areexpected to demonstrate by the end of each course.

The specific expectations describe the expected knowledge and skills in greater detail.The specific expectations are arranged under subheadings that reflect particular aspects of therequired knowledge and skills and that may serve as a guide for teachers as they plan learning activities for their students.

The organization of expectations in strands and subgroupings is not meant to imply that theexpectations in any one strand or group are achieved independently of the expectations in theother strands or groups.The subheadings are used merely to help teachers focus on particularaspects of knowledge and skills as they plan lessons and learning activities for their students.The concepts, content, and skills identified in the different strands of each course should,wherever appropriate, be integrated in instruction throughout the course.

Many of the expectations are accompanied by examples, given in parentheses.These examplesare meant to illustrate the kind of knowledge or skill, the specific area of learning, the depth oflearning, and/or the level of complexity that the expectation entails. Some examples may alsobe used to emphasize the importance of diversity or multiple perspectives.The examples areintended only as suggestions for teachers.Teachers may incorporate the examples into theirlessons, or they may choose other topics or approaches that are relevant to the expectation.


Strands

The curriculum expectations for courses in the Grade 9 to 12 guidance and career educationprogram are organized into a number of different strands, or major areas of knowledge andskills.

Each of these strands is described below.

Learning Skills. In this strand, students develop learning and thinking skills and strategies.They discover how to manage their own learning and acquire knowledge and skills that theycan transfer to a variety of situations related to learning, work, and daily life.Along with liter-acy and numeracy skills, they develop the habits and skills they need in order to become self-directed, lifelong learners.

Essential Skills for Working and Learning. This strand focuses on the development of the nineessential skills that have been identified by the Government of Canada and other national andinternational agencies as necessary for success in any occupation.These essential skills arereading text, document use, writing, numeracy, oral communication, thinking skills, workingwith others, computer use, and continuous learning. Students learn about the importance andtransferability of the essential skills and become actively involved in developing and applyingthem in preparation for future work. Students practise selected workplace essential skills inauthentic situations, using real workplace materials, both at school and in community andworkplace settings

The strands in the Grade 11 Designing Your Future course are:

Personal Knowledge and Management Skills

Interpersonal Knowledge and Skills

Exploration of Opportunities

Preparation for Transitions and Change

The strands in the Grade 11 Leadership and Peer Support course are:




The strands in the Grade 12 Advanced Learning Strategies course are:

Learning Skills

Personal Management



The strands in the Grade 12 Navigating the Workplace course are:

Essential Skills for Working and Learning

Personal Management



11T H E P R O G R A M I N G U I D A N C E A N D C A R E E R E D U C A T I O N

Personal Knowledge and Management Skills. In this strand, students develop their ability todescribe and assess their personal strengths and interests, and to use their knowledge ofthemselves to help them focus on education, career, and life goals. Students learn the com-ponents of effective decision making and apply them to develop plans, act on those plans,and evaluate and modify those plans as required. Students also develop the personal-man-agement skills needed for success in work, learning, and life.

Interpersonal Knowledge and Skills. In this strand, students develop the knowledge andskills necessary for effective communication, teamwork, and leadership.They learn how toget along with others at school, in the workplace, and in the community.They learn aboutthe importance of understanding diversity and respecting others, and they become activelyinvolved in contributing to their communities.

Personal Management.This strand incorporates components of both personal and inter-personal knowledge and skills to facilitate the organization of expectations into one strand insome of the courses.The expectations in this strand focus on developing students abilitiesto describe and assess their personal strengths and interests and to draw on their knowledgeof themselves when exploring and deciding on work and life goals. Students develop anawareness of their needs and learn the skills required to ensure that they get the resourcesand support they need.They develop skills, habits, and characteristics that will help them tointeract positively and effectively with others in school and in the community.They developresiliency, learn to be effective members of a team, and learn to manage the resourcesrequired to complete tasks and achieve their goals.

Exploration of Opportunities. In this strand, students develop the skills needed to researchinformation about learning, work, and community opportunities. Students make connec-tions between these opportunities and their personal career goals.They learn about trendsin the workplace, in the local and global economy, and in society. Students learn the benefitsof having a broad range of skills to meet the demands of the changing global market.

Preparation for Transitions and Change. In their work in this strand, students learn to antic-ipate and respond to change.They develop knowledge, skills, and strategies that can smooththe transitions between different stages and roles in life.They prepare themselves for post-secondary learning and for the challenges of finding and creating work opportunities.Theyalso develop their ability to make effective decisions, set goals, plan, act on plans, and evalu-ate and modify plans in response to changes.

12

Assessment and Evaluation of StudentAchievement

Basic Considerations

The primary purpose of assessment and evaluation is to improve student learning. Informationgathered through assessment helps teachers to determine students strengths and weaknessesin their achievement of the curriculum expectations in each course.This information alsoserves to guide teachers in adapting curriculum and instructional approaches to studentsneeds and in assessing the overall effectiveness of programs and classroom practices.

Assessment is the process of gathering information from a variety of sources (includingassignments, demonstrations, projects, performances, and tests) that accurately reflects howwell a student is achieving the curriculum expectations in a subject.As part of assessment,teachers provide students with descriptive feedback that guides their efforts towardsimprovement. Evaluation refers to the process of judging the quality of student work onthe basis of established criteria, and assigning a value to represent that quality.

Assessment and evaluation will be based on the provincial curriculum expectations and theachievement levels outlined in this document.

In order to ensure that assessment and evaluation are valid and reliable, and that they leadto the improvement of student learning, teachers must use assessment and evaluation strate-gies that:

address both what students learn and how well they learn;

are based both on the categories of knowledge and skills and on the achievement leveldescriptions given in the achievement chart on pages 1617;

are varied in nature, administered over a period of time, and designed to provide oppor-tunities for students to demonstrate the full range of their learning;

are appropriate for the learning activities used, the purposes of instruction, and the needsand experiences of the students;

are fair to all students;

accommodate the needs of students with special education needs, consistent with thestrategies outlined in their Individual Education Plan;

accommodate the needs of students who are learning the language of instruction(English or French);

ensure that each student is given clear directions for improvement;

promote students ability to assess their own learning and to set specific goals;

include the use of samples of students work that provide evidence of their achievement;

are communicated clearly to students and parents at the beginning of the course or theschool term and at other appropriate points throughout the school year.

13A S S E S S M E N T A N D E V A L U A T I O N O F S T U D E N T A C H I E V E M E N T

All curriculum expectations must be accounted for in instruction, but evaluation focuses onstudents achievement of the overall expectations.A students achievement of the overall expec-tations is evaluated on the basis of his or her achievement of related specific expectations.Theoverall expectations are broad in nature, and the specific expectations define the particularcontent or scope of the knowledge and skills referred to in the overall expectations.Teacherswill use their professional judgement to determine which specific expectations should be usedto evaluate achievement of the overall expectations, and which ones will be covered ininstruction and assessment (e.g., through direct observation) but not necessarily evaluated.

The characteristics given in the achievement chart (pages 1617) for level 3 represent theprovincial standard for achievement of the expectations in a course.A complete picture ofoverall achievement at level 3 in a course in guidance and career education can be constructedby reading from top to bottom in the shaded column of the achievement chart, headed7079% (Level 3). Parents of students achieving at level 3 can be confident that their children will be prepared for work in subsequent courses.

Level 1 identifies achievement that falls much below the provincial standard, while still reflect-ing a passing grade. Level 2 identifies achievement that approaches the standard. Level 4 identi-fies achievement that surpasses the standard. It should be noted that achievement at level 4does not mean that the student has achieved expectations beyond those specified for a particu-lar course. It indicates that the student has achieved all or almost all of the expectations for thatcourse, and that he or she demonstrates the ability to use the specified knowledge and skills inmore sophisticated ways than a student achieving at level 3.

The Ministry of Education has provided teachers with materials that will assist them in improv-ing their assessment methods and strategies and, hence, their assessment of student achievement.

Achievement Chart for Guidance and Career Education

The achievement chart that follows identifies four categories of knowledge and skills in guid-ance and career education.The achievement chart is a standard province-wide guide to beused by teachers. It enables teachers to make judgements about student work that are based on clear performance standards and on a body of evidence collected over time.

The purpose of the achievement chart is to:

provide a common framework that encompasses all curriculum expectations for all coursesoutlined in this document;

guide the development of quality assessment tasks and tools (including rubrics);

help teachers to plan instruction for learning;

assist teachers in providing meaningful feedback to students;

provide various categories and criteria with which to assess and evaluate students learning.


Categories of Knowledge and Skills. The categories, defined by clear criteria, represent fourbroad areas of knowledge and skills within which the expectations for any given guidance andcareer education course are organized.The four categories should be considered as interrelated,reflecting the wholeness and interconnectedness of learning.

The categories of knowledge and skills are described as follows:

Knowledge and Understanding. Subject-specific content acquired in each course (knowledge),and the comprehension of its meaning and significance (understanding).

Thinking. The use of critical and creative thinking skills and/or processes, as follows: planning skills (e.g., focusing research, identifying a problem, locating and gathering

information, organizing an inquiry) processing skills (e.g., analysing, reflecting, integrating, synthesizing, evaluating, forming

conclusions) critical/creative thinking processes (e.g., reading process, inquiry, decision making, research,

problem solving)

Communication. The conveying of meaning through various oral, visual, and written forms(e.g., interviews, presentations, portfolios, graphic organizers, posters, letters, rsums, personalprofiles, charts, reports, summaries).

Application. The use of knowledge and skills to make connections within and between variouscontexts.

Teachers will ensure that student work is assessed and/or evaluated in a balanced manner withrespect to the four categories, and that achievement of particular expectations is consideredwithin the appropriate categories.

Criteria. Within each category in the achievement chart, criteria are provided, which are sub-sets of the knowledge and skills that define each category. For example, in Knowledge andUnderstanding, the criteria are knowledge of content (e.g., terminology, vocabulary, informa-tion) and understanding of content (e.g., theories, concepts, skills, processes).The criteriaidentify the aspects of student performance that are assessed and/or evaluated, and serve asguides to what to look for.

Descriptors. A descriptor indicates the characteristic of the students performance, with respectto a particular criterion, on which assessment or evaluation is focused. In the achievement chart,effectiveness is the descriptor used for each criterion in the Thinking, Communication, andApplication categories.What constitutes effectiveness in any given performance task will varywith the particular criterion being considered.Assessment of effectiveness may therefore focuson a quality, such as appropriateness, clarity, accuracy, precision, logic, relevance, significance,fluency, flexibility, depth, or breadth, as appropriate for the particular criterion. For example,in the Thinking category, assessment of effectiveness might focus on the degree of relevance or depth apparent in an analysis; in the Communication category, on clarity of expression orlogical organization of information and ideas; or in the Application category, on appropriate-ness or breadth in the making of connections. Similarly, in the Knowledge and Understandingcategory, assessment of knowledge might focus on accuracy, and assessment of understanding

15A S S E S S M E N T A N D E V A L U A T I O N O F S T U D E N T A C H I E V E M E N T

might focus on the depth of an explanation. Descriptors help teachers to focus their assess-ment and evaluation on specific knowledge and skills for each category and criterion, and help students to better understand exactly what is being assessed and evaluated.

Qualifiers. A specific qualifier is used to define each of the four levels of achievement thatis, limited for level 1, some for level 2, considerable for level 3, and a high degree or thorough forlevel 4.A qualifier is used along with a descriptor to produce a description of performance at aparticular level. For example, the description of a students performance at level 3 with respectto the first criterion in the Thinking category would be:the student uses planning skills withconsiderable effectiveness.

The descriptions of the levels of achievement given in the chart should be used to identify thelevel at which the student has achieved the expectations. In all of their courses, students shouldbe given numerous and varied opportunities to demonstrate the full extent of their achievementof the curriculum expectations across all four categories of knowledge and skills.


Communication The conveying of meaning through various forms

The student:

Expression and organi-zation of ideas andinformation (e.g., clarityof expression, logicalorganization) in oral,visual, and writtenforms (e.g., interviews,presentations, port-folios, graphic organi-zers, posters, letters,rsums, personal pro-files, charts, reports,summaries)

expresses and organizes ideas andinformation with limited effectiveness

expresses and organizes ideas andinformation with some effectiveness

expresses and organizes ideas and information with considerableeffectiveness

expresses and organizes ideas and information with a high degree of effectiveness

Achievement Chart Guidance and Career Education, Grades 912

Knowledge and Understanding Subject-specific content acquired in each course (knowledge), and the comprehension of its meaning and significance (understanding)

The student:

Thinking The use of critical and creative thinking skills and/or processes

The student:

5059%(Level 1)

6069%(Level 2)

7079%(Level 3)

80100%(Level 4)

Categories

Knowledge of content(e.g., terminology,vocabulary, information)

Understanding of content (e.g., theories,concepts, skills,processes)

demonstrates limitedknowledge of content

demonstrates limitedunderstanding of content

demonstrates someknowledge of content

demonstrates someunderstanding of content

demonstrates considerable knowl-edge of content

demonstrates considerable under-standing of content

demonstrates thorough knowledge of content

demonstrates thorough understand-ing of content

Use of planning skills(e.g., focusing research,identifying a problem,locating and gatheringinformation, organizingan inquiry)

Use of processing skills(e.g., analysing, reflect-ing, integrating, synthe-sizing, evaluating, form-ing conclusions)

Use of critical/creativethinking processes (e.g., reading process,inquiry, decisionmaking, research, problem solving)

uses planning skills with limited effectiveness

uses processing skills with limited effectiveness

uses critical/creativethinking processeswith limited effectiveness

uses planning skills with some effectiveness

uses processing skills with some effectiveness

uses critical/creative thinkingprocesses with some effectiveness

uses planning skillswith considerableeffectiveness

uses processing skillswith considerableeffectiveness

uses critical/creativethinking processeswith considerableeffectiveness

uses planning skillswith a high degree of effectiveness

uses processing skillswith a high degree of effectiveness

uses critical/creativethinking processeswith a high degree of effectiveness

17A C H I E V E M E N T C H A R T F O R G U I D A N C E A N D C A R E E R E D U C A T I O N

Application The use of knowledge and skills to make connections within and between various contexts

The student:

Application of knowledgeand skills (e.g., in theareas of personal man-agement, interpersonalrelations, learning, tech-nology, goal setting, plan-ning) in familiar contexts

Transfer of knowledgeand skills (e.g., in theareas of personal man-agement, interpersonalrelations, learning, tech-nology, goal setting, plan-ning) to new contexts

Making connectionswithin and between various contexts (e.g.,within and between dis-ciplines; between learn-ing in school and learn-ing in the workplace;between different jobswithin a workplace)

applies knowledge and skills in familiarcontexts with limitedeffectiveness

transfers knowledgeand skills to new contexts with limitedeffectiveness

makes connectionswithin and betweenvarious contexts withlimited effectiveness

applies knowledge and skills in familiarcontexts with someeffectiveness

transfers knowledgeand skills to new contexts with someeffectiveness

makes connectionswithin and betweenvarious contexts withsome effectiveness

applies knowledge and skills in familiarcontexts with considerable effectiveness

transfers knowledgeand skills to new contexts with considerable effectiveness

makes connectionswithin and betweenvarious contexts with considerableeffectiveness

applies knowledge and skills in familiarcontexts with a highdegree of effectiveness

transfers knowledgeand skills to new contexts with a highdegree of effectiveness

makes connectionswithin and betweenvarious contexts with a high degree of effectiveness

Communication ((ccoonntt..))

The student:

5059%(Level 1)

6069%(Level 2)

7079%(Level 3)

80100%(Level 4)

Categories

Communication for dif-ferent audiences (e.g.,peers, employers,adults) and purposes(e.g., to inform, to per-suade) in oral, visual,and written forms

Use of conventions (e.g.,appropriate style andformat for cover letters,applications, rsums,e-mails, journals, tele-phone calls) and ofappropriate vocabularyand terminology in oral,visual, and writtenforms

communicates for different audiences and purposes with limited effectiveness

uses conventions,vocabulary, and terminology of the discipline with limitedeffectiveness

communicates for different audiences and purposes withsome effectiveness

uses conventions,vocabulary, and terminology of the discipline with someeffectiveness

communicates for different audiences and purposes with considerable effectiveness

uses conventions,vocabulary, and terminology of the discipline with considerable effectiveness

communicates for different audiences and purposes with ahigh degree of effectiveness

uses conventions,vocabulary, and terminology of the discipline with a highdegree of effectiveness

Note: A student whose achievement is below 50% at the end of a course will not obtain a credit for the course.


Evaluation and Reporting of Student Achievement

Student achievement must be communicated formally to students and parents by means of the Provincial Report Card, Grades 912.The report card provides a record of the studentsachievement of the curriculum expectations in every course, at particular points in the schoolyear or semester, in the form of a percentage grade.The percentage grade represents the qual-ity of the students overall achievement of the expectations for the course and reflects the corresponding level of achievement as described in the achievement chart for the discipline.

A final grade is recorded for every course, and a credit is granted and recorded for everycourse in which the students grade is 50% or higher.The final grade for each course inGrades 912 will be determined as follows:

Seventy per cent of the grade will be based on evaluations conducted throughout the course.This portion of the grade should reflect the students most consistent level of achievementthroughout the course, although special consideration should be given to more recent evidence of achievement.

Thirty per cent of the grade will be based on a final evaluation in the form of an examina-tion, performance, essay, and/or other method of evaluation suitable to the course contentand administered towards the end of the course.

Reporting on Demonstrated Learning Skills

The report card provides a record of the learning skills demonstrated by the student in everycourse, in the following five categories:Works Independently,Teamwork, Organization,WorkHabits, and Initiative.The learning skills are evaluated using a four-point scale (E-Excellent,G-Good, S-Satisfactory, N-Needs Improvement).The separate evaluation and reporting of the learning skills in these five areas reflects their critical role in students achievement of thecurriculum expectations.To the extent possible, the evaluation of learning skills, apart fromany that may be included as part of a curriculum expectation in a course, should not be considered in the determination of percentage grades.

19

Some Considerations for Program Planning in Guidance and Career Education

Teachers who are planning a program in guidance and career education must take intoaccount considerations in a number of important areas, including those discussed below.

Teaching Approaches

Students learn best when they are engaged in a variety of ways of learning. Guidance andcareer education courses lend themselves to a wide range of approaches in that they requirestudents to research, think critically, work cooperatively, discuss relevant issues, and learnthrough practice in a variety of settings. Helping students become self-directed, lifelong learn-ers is a fundamental aim of the guidance and career education curriculum.When students areengaged in active and experiential learning strategies, they tend to retain knowledge for longerperiods and develop meaningful skills.Active and experiential learning strategies also enablestudents to apply their knowledge and skills to real-life issues and situations.

Some of the teaching and learning strategies that are suitable to material taught in guidanceand career education include cooperative small-group learning, one-on-one teaching, guidedlearning, personal reflection, role playing, simulations, case-study analysis, presentations, tasksinvolving real workplace materials, experiential learning, and independent study.Teachers mustprovide a wide range of activities and assignments that promote mastery of basic concepts anddevelopment of inquiry/research skills. Learning activities should always be age-appropriate ordevelopmentally appropriate, as necessary.

In the guidance and career education program, teachers provide students with opportunities todevelop self-knowledge and make connections with the world around them. Students learnhow to work independently and with others as they acquire the essential skills and work habitsneeded for success in school, in the workplace, and in daily life. Students learn how to makedecisions about future learning and work, how to put plans into action responsibly, and how toreflect on the actions theyve taken and revise their plans as necessary.They learn by doing.They synthesize what they have learned by reflecting, analysing, evaluating, making decisions,and setting goals.They apply their learning both in the classroom and in other contexts, andthey evaluate their progress. Ultimately, students learn to take responsibility for their ownlearning in preparation for life beyond secondary school.

It is essential to emphasize the relationship of guidance and career education to the world out-side the classroom, so that students recognize that what they learn in these courses can have asignificant influence on the rest of their lives, from their educational choices to decisions abouttheir careers and personal lives.

Planning for Experiential Learning and Cooperative Education

In courses within the guidance and career education program, there is a specific emphasis onexperiential learning as a key method of instruction that is, learning acquired wholly or inpart through practical experiences inside and outside the classroom.The curriculum expecta-tions incorporate a broad range of experiential learning opportunities (e.g., information inter-views, worksite visits, job shadowing, community involvement, work experience, and virtual or


simulated work experience) that are intended to meet the needs of students at various stages ofreadiness for work.These experiences will also influence the direction students take in theircareer exploration and educational planning.

Cooperative education programs, which provide opportunities for learning in apprenticeshipand workplace settings in combination with classroom studies, are designed to suit studentsparticular strengths, interests, and needs and further enhance their preparation for the future.

Students need opportunities to learn about the work world through experiences in workplacesand interaction with employers and employees.They can also learn about active and responsi-ble citizenship through opportunities to make contributions to their communities and schools.Their personal, interpersonal, and learning development can be enhanced and supportedthrough connections with community service agencies, postsecondary institutions, and thebroader community. For all these reasons, strong connections with the community outside theschool, including partnerships with employers and community organizations, are essential tothe delivery of an effective guidance and career education program.

All experiential learning opportunities and cooperative education programs will be providedin accordance with the ministrys policy document entitled Cooperative Education and OtherForms of Experiential Learning: Policies and Procedures for Ontario Secondary Schools, 2000.

Planning Program Pathways and Programs Leading to a Specialist High-Skills Major

Guidance and career education courses are well suited for inclusion in programs leading to aSpecialist High-Skills Major (SHSM) and in programs designed to provide pathways to particularapprenticeship or workplace destinations. In an SHSM program, guidance and career educationcourses can be bundled with other courses to provide the academic knowledge and skillsimportant to particular industry sectors and required for success in the workplace and post-secondary education, including apprenticeship. Guidance and career education courses mayalso be combined with cooperative education credits to provide the workplace experiencerequired for SHSM programs and for various program pathways to apprenticeship and work-place destinations. (SHSM programs would also include sector-specific learning opportunitiesoffered by employers, skills-training centres, colleges, and community organizations.)

Planning Guidance and Career Education Programs for Students With Special Education Needs

In planning guidance and career education courses for students with special education needs,teachers should begin by examining both the curriculum expectations for the course and theneeds of the individual student to determine which of the following options is appropriate forthe student:

no accommodations2 or modifications; or

accommodations only; or

modified expectations, with the possibility of accommodations

2. Accommodations refers to individualized teaching and assessment strategies, human supports, and/or individualizedequipment.

21S O M E C O N S I D E R A T I O N S F O R P R O G R A M P L A N N I N G I N G U I D A N C E A N D C A R E E R E D U C A T I O N

If the student requires either accommodations or modified expectations, or both, the relevantinformation, as described in the following paragraphs, must be recorded in his or her IndividualEducation Plan (IEP). For a detailed discussion of the ministrys requirements for IEPs, seeIndividual Education Plans: Standards for Development, Program Planning, and Implementation, 2000(referred to hereafter as IEP Standards, 2000). More detailed information about planning pro-grams for students with special education needs can be found in The Individual Education Plan(IEP):A Resource Guide, 2004 (referred to hereafter as the IEP Resource Guide, 2004). (Bothdocuments are available at www.edu.gov.on.ca.).

Students Requiring Accommodations Only. With the aid of accommodations alone, somestudents are able to participate in the regular course curriculum and to demonstrate learningindependently. (Accommodations do not alter the provincial curriculum expectations for thecourse.) The accommodations required to facilitate the students learning must be identified inhis or her IEP (see IEP Standards, 2000, page 11).A students IEP is likely to reflect the sameaccommodations for many, or all, courses.

There are three types of accommodations. Instructional accommodations are changes in teachingstrategies, including styles of presentation, methods of organization, or use of technology andmultimedia. Environmental accommodations are changes that the student may require in the class-room and/or school environment, such as preferential seating or special lighting. Assessmentaccommodations are changes in assessment procedures that enable the student to demonstrate his or her learning, such as allowing additional time to complete tests or assignments or permit-ting oral responses to test questions (see page 29 of the IEP Resource Guide, 2004, for moreexamples).

If a student requires accommodations only in guidance and career education courses, assess-ment and evaluation of his or her achievement will be based on the appropriate course curricu-lum expectations and the achievement levels outlined in this document.The IEP box on theProvincial Report Card will not be checked, and no information on the provision of accom-modations will be included.

Students Requiring Modified Expectations. Some students will require modified expectations,which differ from the regular course expectations. For most students, modified expectations willbe based on the regular course curriculum, with changes in the number and/or complexity ofthe expectations. It is important to monitor, and to reflect clearly in the students IEP, the extentto which expectations have been modified.As noted in Section 7.12 of the ministrys policydocument Ontario Secondary Schools, Grades 9 to 12: Program and Diploma Requirements, 1999,the principal will determine whether achievement of the modified expectations constitutessuccessful completion of the course and will decide whether the student is eligible to receive a credit for the course.This decision must be communicated to the parents and the student.

When a student is expected to achieve most of the curriculum expectations for the course,the modified expectations should identify how they differ from the course expectations.Whenmodifications are so extensive that achievement of the learning expectations is not likely toresult in a credit, the expectations should specify the precise requirements or tasks on which thestudents performance will be evaluated and that will be used to generate the course mark


recorded on the Provincial Report Card. Modified expectations indicate the knowledge and/orskills the student is expected to demonstrate and have assessed in each reporting period (IEPStandards, 2000, pages 10 and 11). Modified expectations represent specific, realistic, observable,and measurable achievements and describe specific knowledge and/or skills that the student candemonstrate independently, given the appropriate assessment accommodations.The studentslearning expectations must be reviewed in relation to the students progress at least once everyreporting period and must be updated as necessary (IEP Standards, 2000, page 11).

If a student requires modified expectations in guidance and career education courses, assessmentand evaluation of his or her achievement will be based on the learning expectations identifiedin the IEP and on the achievement levels outlined in this document. If some of the studentslearning expectations for a course are modified but the student is working towards a credit forthe course, it is sufficient simply to check the IEP box on the Provincial Report Card. If,however, the students learning expectations are modified to such an extent that the principaldeems that a credit will not be granted for the course, the IEP box must be checked and theappropriate statement from the Guide to the Provincial Report Card, Grades 912, 1999 (page 8)must be inserted.The teachers comments should include relevant information on the studentsdemonstrated learning of the modified expectations, as well as next steps for the students learning in the course.

English as a Second Language and English Literacy Development (ESL/ELD)Young people whose first language is not English enter Ontario secondary schools with diverselinguistic and cultural backgrounds. Some may have experience of highly sophisticated educa-tional systems, while others may have had limited formal schooling.All of these students bringa rich array of background knowledge and experience to the classroom, and all teachers mustshare in the responsibility for their English-language development.

Students who come to Ontario from other countries will find the courses in guidance andcareer education particularly useful.They will develop learning skills that will assist them asthey progress through secondary school. Students will develop interpersonal and communica-tion skills and learn about their local community through career exploration activities.

Teachers of guidance and career education must incorporate appropriate strategies for instruc-tion and assessment to facilitate the success of the English language learners in their classrooms.These strategies include:

modification of some or all of the course expectations, based on the students level of Englishproficiency;

use of a variety of instructional strategies (e.g., extensive use of visual cues, graphic organiz-ers, scaffolding; previewing of textbooks; pre-teaching of key vocabulary; peer tutoring;strategic use of students first languages);

use of a variety of learning resources (e.g., visual material, simplified text, bilingual dictionar-ies, and culturally diverse materials);

use of assessment accommodations (e.g., granting of extra time; use of oral interviews andtasks requiring completion of graphic organizers and cloze sentences instead of essay ques-tions and other assessment tasks that depend heavily on proficiency in English).


Students who are no longer taking ESL or ELD courses may still require program adaptationsto be successful.When learning expectations in a course other than ESL and ELD are modified,this must be clearly indicated on the students report card by checking the ESL or ELD box.(See the Guide to the Provincial Report Card, Grades 912, 1999.)

For further information on supporting students who are English language learners, refer to The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 to 12: English As a Second Language and English LiteracyDevelopment, 1999 and the resource guide Many Roots, Many Voices: Supporting English LanguageLearners in Every Classroom (Ministry of Education, 2005).

Antidiscrimination Education in Guidance and Career Education

The guidance and career education curriculum is designed to help students acquire the habitsof mind essential in a complex democratic society characterized by rapid technological,economic, political, and social change.These involve respect and understanding with regard to individuals, groups, and cultures in Canada and the global community, including an appre-ciation and valuing of the contributions of Aboriginal people to the richness and diversity ofCanadian life.They also involve respect and responsibility for the environment and an under-standing of the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of citizenship. Learning the importance of protecting human rights and of taking a stand against racism and other expressions of hatredand discrimination is also part of the foundation for responsible citizenship.

Learning activities used to implement the curriculum should be inclusive in nature, reflectingdiverse points of view and experiences.They should enable students to become more sensitiveto the experiences and perceptions of others and to understand and respect themselves.Thecritical thinking and analytic skills acquired in guidance and career education will allow stu-dents to recognize barriers, biases, and stereotypes that may be exhibited in social interactionsand in the workplace, and to develop the skills needed to deal with these situations effectively.In guidance and career education courses, students will learn about the importance of culturaldiversity and the value of a broad range of skills and knowledge needed to be successful in aglobal economy.

Antidiscrimination education promotes a school climate and classroom practice that encourageall students to work to high standards, ensure that they are given a variety of opportunities tobe successful, affirm their self-worth, and help them strengthen their sense of identity and positive self-image. It is particularly important in guidance and career education that studentsfrom all backgrounds and experiences learn that they can aspire to a full range of careers. Bothmale and female students should be encouraged to consider any non-traditional careers towhich their aptitudes, skills, and interests are well suited.

Literacy, Numeracy, and Inquiry/Research Skills

Success in all their secondary school courses depends in large part on students literacy skills.Many of the activities and tasks students undertake in guidance and career education involvethe use of written, oral, and visual communication skills. For example, students use language torecord their observations, to describe their inquiries in both informal and formal contexts, andto present their findings in oral presentations and written reports.The language of guidanceand career education includes special terms that are recognized as belonging to this field.Study in these courses will thus encourage students to use language with greater care and precision so that they are able to communicate effectively.


The Ministry of Education has facilitated the development of materials to support literacyinstruction across the curriculum. Helpful advice for integrating literacy instruction in guidanceand career education courses may be found in the following resource documents:

Think Literacy: Cross-Curricular Approaches, Grades 712, 2003

Think Literacy: Cross-Curricular Approaches, Grades 712 Guidance and Career Education:Subject-Specific Examples (Learning Strategies, Grade 9; Career Studies, Grade 10), 2006

The guidance and career education curriculum also builds on and reinforces certain aspects of the mathematics curriculum. For example, clear, concise communication involves the use ofvarious diagrams, charts, tables, and graphs to organize, interpret, and present information. Incourses that include planning for future financial needs, students apply concepts related tobudgeting and personal finance. Statistical information is used in some courses to help studentsunderstand trends in society and the economy.

In all guidance and career education courses, students will develop their ability to ask questionsand to plan investigations to answer those questions.They need to learn a variety of researchmethods in order to carry out their investigations and to know which methods to use in aparticular inquiry. Students need to learn how to locate relevant information from a variety of sources, such as books, newspapers, field studies and interviews, diagrams and charts, andelectronic sources.As they advance through the grades, students will be expected to use thesesources with increasing sophistication.

The Ontario Skills Passport and Essential Skills

Teachers planning programs in guidance and career education need to be aware of the purposeand benefits of the Ontario Skills Passport (OSP).The OSP is a bilingual web-based resourcethat enhances the relevancy of classroom learning for students and strengthens school-workconnections.The OSP provides clear descriptions of essential skills such as reading, writing,computer use, measurement and calculation, and problem solving and includes an extensivedatabase of occupation-specific workplace tasks that illustrate how workers use these skills onthe job.The essential skills are transferable, in that they are used in virtually all occupations.The OSP also includes descriptions of important work habits, such as working safely, beingreliable, and providing excellent customer service.The OSP is designed to help employersassess and record students demonstration of these skills and work habits during their coopera-tive education placements. Students can use the OSP to identify the skills and work habitsthey already have, plan further skill development, and show employers what they can do.

The skills described in the OSP are the essential skills that the Government of Canada andother national and international agencies have identified and validated, through extensiveresearch, as the skills needed for work, learning, and life. Essential skills provide the foundationfor learning all other skills and enable people to evolve with their jobs and adapt to workplacechange. For further information on the OSP and essential skills, visit http://skills.edu.gov.on.ca.


The Role of Technology in Guidance and Career Education

Information and communication technology (ICT) provides a range of tools that can signifi-cantly extend and enrich teachers instructional strategies and support students learning inguidance and career education.These tools include online assessment tools, career explora-tion programs, simulations, multimedia resources, databases, and computer-assisted learningmodules.Teachers can use ICT tools and resources for whole-class instruction as well as in the design of curriculum to meet diverse student needs.

ICT can be used to connect students to other schools, locally and abroad, and to bring theglobal community into the local classroom.Through Internet websites and CD-ROM technol-ogy, students can now access resources that provide current labour market information, statisticsand trends, occupational data, community agency information, apprenticeship information, anda host of options for exploring work, learning, and career opportunities locally, nationally, andinternationally. ICT resources allow secondary school students to conduct more far-ranging andauthentic research than ever before.Applications such as databases, spreadsheets, word proces-sors, and presentation software can be used to support various methods of inquiry.

Although the Internet is a powerful learning tool, however, all students must be made aware ofissues of privacy, safety, and responsible use, as well as of the ways in which the Internet can beused to promote hatred.

Health and Safety in Guidance and Career Education

In addition to taking all possible and reasonable steps to ensure the physical safety of students,teachers must also address the personal well-being of students. Students require reassurance andhelp with transitions. In addition, they must understand their rights to privacy and confiden-tiality as outlined in the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and be able tofunction in an environment free from abuse and harassment.They need to be aware of harassment and abuse issues in establishing boundaries for their own personal safety.Theyshould be informed about school and community resources and school policies and reportingprocedures with regard to all forms of abuse and harassment.

Because experiential learning is an important component of the guidance and career educa-tion curriculum, students taking guidance and career education courses are often engaged inactivities in the community.Teachers must ensure that students are prepared for these commu-nity-based activities, paying particular attention to health issues and safety procedures in theworkplace. In addition, students need to understand how matters relating to work ethics andwork attitudes contribute to a healthy, positive work environment.Teachers, as well as boardstaff, should be aware of their responsibility and potential liability in terms of students healthand safety. Policy/Program Memorandum No. 76A,Workplace Safety and InsuranceCoverage for Students in Work Education Programs (September 2000), outlines proceduresfor ensuring the provision of Health and Safety Insurance Board coverage for students who areat least 14 years of age and are on placements of more than one day. (A one-day job shadow-ing or job twinning experience is treated as a field trip.) Teachers should also be aware of theminimum age requirements outlined in the Occupational Health and Safety Act for persons tobe in or to be working in specific workplace settings. Relevant ministry policies are outlinedin Cooperative Education and Other Forms of Experiential Learning: Policies and Procedures forOntario Secondary Schools, 2000.

26

Designing Your Future, Grade 11, Open (GWL3O)

This course prepares students to make successful transitions to postsecondary destinations as they investigate specific postsecondary options based on their skills, interests, and personalcharacteristics. Students will explore the realities and opportunities of the workplace andexamine factors that affect success, while refining their job-search and employability skills.Students will develop their portfolios with a focus on their targeted destination and develop an action plan for future success.

Prerequisite: None

27D E S I G N I N G Y O U R F U T U R E , G R A D E 1 1 , O P E N ( G W L 3 O )


Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:

analyse their personal characteristics, strengths, interests, skills, and competencies to determine career-related goals;

maintain a portfolio for use in career planning that provides up-to-date evidence of knowledge, skills, interests, and experience;

demonstrate an understanding of the personal-management skills, habits, and characteristicsthat could contribute to success in their selected postsecondary destinations and independentadult life.

Specific Expectations

Self-KnowledgeBy the end of this course, students will:

summarize their personal strengths, inter-ests, skills, and competencies based on aself-assessment (e.g., interest tests, skillsinventories) that draws on their school,community, leisure, family, and work experiences;

identify the transferable skills and personal-management skills most valued by employ-ers, and explain how their own skills cancontribute to employability;

identify occupations and career goals thatalign with their interests and skills, andidentify the areas of growth needed tomeet these goals.

Portfolio DevelopmentBy the end of this course, students will:

explain the benefits of the portfolio processas a strategy for directing the managementof their own learning;

describe the purpose and content of bothcomprehensive portfolios and portfoliostargeted for specific purposes (e.g., for specific jobs, interviews, scholarships,program admissions, community-basedleadership opportunities);

select and organize documentation (e.g.,certificates of training in cardiopulmonaryresuscitation (CPR),Workplace HazardousMaterials Information Systems (WHMIS),Service Excellence, SuperHost; work samples; reference letters) from varioussources (e.g., work experience, communityinvolvement, school-based programs) todevelop their comprehensive or targetedportfolios;

explain their choices of specific portfolioitems as evidence of selected knowledge,skills, and personal accomplishments.

Personal ManagementBy the end of this course, students will:

identify and describe the personal-management skills (e.g., organizationalskills, problem solving, scheduling tasks),habits (e.g., meeting timelines), and char-acteristics (e.g., showing initiative, adapt-ability) that could contribute to success in their postsecondary learning, work,or community life, and explain theirimportance;

explain the internal and external influ-ences (e.g., parental expectations, peerpressure, financial situation) that can affecttheir career-related decision making;


describe the range of individual differ-ences in how people manage themselvesin dealing with issues such as risk, stress,change, time, planning, and personalfinance in various settings (e.g., school,workplace, community);

demonstrate the use of time- and priority-management strategies to help achieve ahealthy lifestyle that balances school, fam-ily, work, and leisure activities;

identify effective risk-, stress-, and anger-management strategies and use themappropriately in school and/or community-based activities.





demonstrate interpersonal and teamwork skills required for success in their school, work,and community activities;

demonstrate an understanding of the elements of group dynamics in a variety of settings;

explain ways in which they can make a contribution to their communities and ways inwhich the community can assist them with career planning.


Interpersonal RelationsBy the end of this course, students will:

identify and describe the interpersonalskills (e.g., using active listening, showingmutual respect, using non-verbal language)and teamwork skills (e.g., building consen-sus, encouraging and recognizing contri-butions) that contribute to success in post-secondary education/training andemployment;

demonstrate effective and respectful use ofinterpersonal and teamwork skills in theirexperiential learning activities (e.g., volun-teer work, work experience, cooperativeeducation placement, extracurricular activities);

communicate appropriately with variousaudiences (e.g., peers, employers) and invarious situations (e.g., attending inter-views, writing letters).

Group DynamicsBy the end of this course, students will:

demonstrate respectful and responsiblebehaviours (e.g., respect for levels ofauthority, respect for diversity, responsibi-lity for ones actions) in groups at schooland in community-based learning activities;

explain how diversity (e.g., cultural, eco-nomic, gender, intellectual) among mem-bers in a group may affect group dynamics

in a positive way (e.g., by providingbroader perspectives, a wider range ofideas, more varied strengths);

explain how conflict-resolution strategies(e.g., mediation, negotiation) can be usedto reach mutually agreeable solutions inwork-related situations;

describe the skills necessary to act as anadvocate for themselves or others in various situations involving prejudice,bullying, or discrimination.

Connecting With the CommunityBy the end of this course, students will:

identify ways in which they can use theirinterests, skills, and knowledge to con-tribute to the development of their com-munity or its members (e.g., volunteerwork, part-time employment);

demonstrate the ability to develop net-works and other supportive relationshipswith individuals and groups in the schooland community (e.g., mentors, tutors,employers, entrepreneurial clubs, commu-nity agencies) in a variety of ways (e.g.,through information interviews, job twin-ning, work experience) for assistance withcareer exploration and planning;

describe, on the basis of research, the types of school and community supportservices available to help students meetpostsecondary goals (e.g., student servicesdepartments, employment centres, smallbusiness centres).





use research skills and strategies to gather and interpret relevant information about work andlearning opportunities;

analyse emerging social and economic trends and their impact on individuals, workplaces,and career opportunities;

describe, on the basis of research, opportunities in various occupational sectors and explainthe requirements and challenges of selected occupations;

demonstrate an understanding of types of workplaces, their related workplace issues, and legislation governing the workplace.


Accessing and Managing InformationBy the end of this course, students will:

identify the specific types of informationthey need in order to make effective decisions about work and learning opportunities;

identify, through research, various sources(e.g., print, electronic, human) of career-related information and assess these sourceson the basis of identified criteria (e.g., bias,authority, accuracy, usefulness, personal relevance);

acquire information about fields of workand the nature of the workplace throughexperiential learning opportunities (e.g.,information interviews, job twinning, jobshadowing, work experience);

demonstrate the ability to communicateeffectively (e.g., using appropriate vocabu-lary, telephone protocol, and letter format)to gather career-related information;

demonstrate the ability to obtain andinterpret career-related information fromlabour-market statistics, charts, graphs, andtables.

TrendsBy the end of this course, students will:

identify and explain the impact of eco-nomic and societal trends (e.g., globaliza-tion, outsourcing, new technologies, envi-ronmental concerns) on the work life ofwomen and men in Canada (e.g., reducedjob security, increased prevalence of part-time and contract work, more frequentcareer changes);

identify fields of work, jobs, and self-employment and entrepreneurship oppor-tunities in local, regional, national, andinternational contexts that are growingas a result of identified trends;

describe employment-related trends (e.g.,the relationship between education levelsand earnings or employment rates), usingstatistical information, such as labour-market analyses, occupational outlookprojections, and census data.


OpportunitiesBy the end of this course, students will:

use the inquiry process to obtain detailedinformation about selected sectors ofemployment, and describe the workopportunities and emerging trends withinthese fields;

compare selected occupations based onthe requirements for entry (e.g., certifica-tion, knowledge, technical skills, essentialskills) and the challenges of each occupation;

assess secondary school options (e.g., co-operative education experience) that mayhelp them achieve their postsecondarywork and learning goals;

identify and describe selected communityinvolvement and/or leisure opportunitiesthat can contribute to their postsecondarywork and learning goals;

explain how knowledge and appreciationof various cultures, including those ofAboriginal peoples, and fluency in Frenchand other languages can expand employ-ment opportunities;

summarize the results of their career-related research, using a variety of presen-tation formats (e.g., oral, video, print), anddocument them in their portfolio.

The WorkplaceBy the end of this course, students will:

describe various types of businesses (e.g.,profit, non-profit; small, medium, large;retail, service; public, private) and employ-ment opportunities (e.g., self-employment,part-time work, contract work) and iden-tify the advantages and disadvantages ofeach;

identify examples of ethical behaviourwithin the workplace (e.g., respecting therights of others, taking a stand against dis-criminatory behaviour, honesty, not caus-ing harm, obeying and respecting the law);

describe key features of legislation govern-ing human rights, antidiscrimination,employment, and workplace health andsafety (e.g., Ontario Human Rights Code,Employment Standards Act, OccupationalHealth and Safety Act) and relate these totheir observations of how the rights andresponsibilities of employees and employ-ers are addressed in their workplace experiences;

explain the historical development oflabour unions and describe their currentrole in the workplace from the point ofview of employers and employees.





demonstrate an understanding of the transition process and the strategies used to facilitatechange;

demonstrate effective use of a variety of strategies and resources for finding work and creating work;

apply goal-setting and action-planning processes to prepare for the transition from secondaryschool to their first postsecondary destination and for future transitions in their career.


Managing ChangeBy the end of this course, students will:

demonstrate an understanding of careerdevelopment as a lifelong process that willinclude transitions, changes, and lifelonglearning;

describe the practical and psychologicalchallenges (e.g., increased independence,greater responsibilities) that are part of secondary school graduates transitions tonew roles and environments (e.g., work,postsecondary education/training, inde-pendent adult life);

predict and explain the planned andunplanned changes that they will experi-ence throughout their careers;

identify the stages of a transition process(e.g., an ending phase, an interim phase,and a new beginning phase) that involvesadapting to change over a period of time;

identify and explain strategies that helppeople adjust to new situations (e.g., learn-ing from mistakes, using flexible thinking,overcoming fears, maintaining optimism);

assess their own abilities to manage plannedand unplanned change by analysing effec-tive and ineffective strategies they haveused in the past to manage each kind ofchange.

Work SearchBy the end of this course, students will:

locate and select appropriate work oppor-tunities (e.g., summer, part-time, full-time,contract) from electronic and print sourcesin the open (publicly advertised) jobmarket;

identify and expand the network of con-tacts that may assist them in accessing thehidden (unadvertised) job market in afield of interest;

identify opportunities for self-employment(e.g., government programs, enterprisecentres, community organizations) andresources available to assist the enterpris-ing person;

produce effective, up-to-date rsums andcover letters for a targeted field of work oroccupation, using word-processing soft-ware and appropriate vocabulary and con-ventions (e.g., style, punctuation);

demonstrate the ability to complete jobapplications (in print, online);

demonstrate the ability to prepare andconduct themselves

guidance and career education, the ontario curriculum...

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